Hat holder



May 13, 1952 H. L. RICHARDSON HAT HOLDER Filed June 23, 1947 MIM /V708, H. L. RICHFIEDSMY kQm'M Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES: PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims. (Cl. 211-4) This invention relates to hat holders and the like and has reference more particularly to that form of device on which a hat of that type commonly worn by men, may be securely held; such devices being especially useful for the holding of hats in restaurants, clubrooms, classrooms, automobiles, railway coaches, or other places where hat holding means are desirable.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a hat support, or holding device, having,

a latch arm on which a hat may be hung for support much after the fashion of hanging it on a hook or nail, and which arm has a latch element associated therewith that is adapted to holdingly engage with the sweat band of the hat as applied to the latch arm, to securely hold the hat against being blown or brushed from the support.

It is also an object of my invention to provide a novel combination between the present type of hat supporting latch arm and a hat having its sweat band formed with an opening or slit of a kind adapted to receive the latch arm therethrough, and with which latch arm there is associated a latch lever that will be automatical- Other objects and advantages of the present invention reside in the details of construction of its parts; in their combination; and in the mode of use of the device, as will hereinafter be described.

In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a hat holding device embodied by the present invention, showing the hat supporting latch arm in extended or supporting position.

Fig. 2 is a view, in reduced scale, illustrating the device and the manner of applying a hat thereto.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the present hat holder and a portion of the hat, showing the manner of applying the latch arm to a slot or opening in the sweat band of the hat, preparatory to swinging the latch to supporting position.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the hat holder, illustrating the coaction of the latch arm and latch lever for securing the hat band against displacement from the holder.

Fig. 5 is a top view of the Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a detail of apart of the sweat band of a hat, showing the form of slot provided in the band to receive the latch arm of the present device.

Referring more in detail to the drawings-- The. present device, as designed for its fixed securement to a Wall, or rack for ordinary use, comprises a sheet metal housing or frame structure, designated in its entiretyby reference numeral Ill and comprising a flat back wall ll, through which attaching screws l2 are applied, as noted in Fig. 4, for the fixing of the device to the support.

Integral with the back wall II are laterally spaced, vertical opposite side walls Iii-l3 and bolder as seen in these are joined across their lower edges by means of an integral, horizontal bottom Wall M, in which a hook i5 is ailixed for the hanging thereon of a coat or the like. The top of this housing is open as observed in Fig. l.

The side walls !3l3 extend forwardly from the wall 1 l a substantial distance, and located between their spaced upper portions is a rigid, metal frame 16 which carries the latch arm on which the hat is hung, and the latch lever which secures the hat. This frame is equipped with pivot studs ll-Il at opposite sides, contained in holes l8 provided therefor in the side walls I3-l3 and on which trunnions the frame may swing between the downwardly depending position in which it is shown in Fig. 3 and the horizontally extending position of Figs. 1 and 4.

The frame l6, as understood best by reference to Figs. 1, 5 and 6, is formed from a single piece of stiff sheet metal, having a body portion formed at opposite sides of its inner end section, with downwardly turned mounting wings Ilia: in which the axially aligned pivot trunnions l'!ll are fixed. Disposed between the wing portions, ISLE-I61, is a rectangular metal block 20 which, at its opposite sides, has axially aligned laterally projecting studs 2l2l extending outwardly therefrom. These studs which constitute cam followers, for a purpose presently understood are oiiset from alignment. with the studs 11-41 as observed in Figs. 1: and 4 vand are arranged to ride upon the arcuate cam surfaces 22 formed by the top edges of ears 23-23 that are struck inwardly from the upper portions of the opposite side walls of the housing, below those portions in which the trunnions l1l'l are mounted. The inset relationship of the ears 23-23 to the side walls, l3l3, and the relationship of the arcuate surfaces 22 to the line of the trunnions I! will be best understood by reference to Figs. 3, 5, and 6.

The hat supporting latch arm is designated by reference numeral 25 and it composes a piece of stiff wire, bent to U-form and having the ends of its two leg portions secured in spaced relationship in the block 20 as shown best in Fig. 5. Adjacent the block, the two leg portions of the U-shaped piece 25 extend slidably through guideways 2828 that are formed at opposite side edges of the outer portion of the plate l6. At its outer end, the latch arm 25 is curved upwardly, as shown in Fig. 4, to better coact with the latch member as presently explained.

It will be understood that when the latch arm 25 is swung from the horizontal position of Fig. 1, to the downwardly extended position of Fig. 3, the studs 2l-2l will ride along the arcuate cam surfaces 22 of the wings 23- and 23, and thus, by reason of the gradual approach of these surfaces 22 to the axial line of the trunnions 11, will cause the latch arm to be pulled inwardly relative to the frame [6. Also, when the arm 25 is swungupwardly, from the downwardly depending position in, which it is shown in Fig. 3 to the horizontal position of Fig. 4, the block 20 is pushed outwardly to extend the arm relative to the frame I6. To push the block 20 outwardly. I have provided a coiled spring 30 that is contained under compression in a tubular housing 3| fixed tothe upper portion of the back wall ll of the housing Ill. The spring 30 bears against a ball 32 and this, in turn, presses against the block, and maintains an outward pressure against it at all times. The block is formed in itsside surfaces with seats 33 in which the ball will be received as the block is rotated to yieldingly hold the block at either of its extreme positions, or at an intermediate position.

Located between the opposite side arms of the U-shaped latch arm 25, is the latch lever 35 which, at its inner end is fixed to a plate 36 that extends transversely between the spaced legs of the part 25, and at its ends has pivot trunnions 31' whereby it is pivotally mounted on said arm 25 as shown in Fig. 6. The upper edge of the plate is contained, in a cross slot 40 in the frame l6, and the relationship of parts is such that when the latch arm 25 is swung to a downwardly depending-position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, the latch lever 35 will be swung to a greater extent as indicated by its dotted line position in Fig. 3. However, with the swinging of lever arm 25 back to horizontal position, the latch lever will; be swung in against plate It as seen in Fig. 4. The relative movement of the block 20 and frame [6 with this swinging of the arm causes the lever arm to assume the open or clamping relationship.

It is shown in Fig. 4 that the pressure of spring 30 may be varied by adjustment of an adjusting screw (65 that is threaded through the back wall of housing In into the tube 3| to support the end of the spring thereon as has been shown in Fig. 4.

For the intended use or this device with hats of that kind indicated in dotted lines at 43 in 4 Fig. 2, the sweat band 41 of the hat is formedwith an opening preferably in the nature of a short slit as shown in Fig. 7. This opening or slit is of such size as to receive the latch arm 25 of the device therethrough when the hat is applied to the device for support.

With the hat band so slotted, and with the holder mounted on a wall or support as shown, its use would be as follows:

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3, the hat is placed over the outwardly curved portion of the latch arm 25 as illustrated, and aided by placing the finger back of the sweat band, the end of the latch arm is caused to enter through the slit of the hat band from outside to inside thereof. Then, with the end of the latch arm started through the slit 50, the arm is swung upwardly, for example, from the dotted line position 25a in Fig. 4, through the dotted line position 2512 andfinally to the horizontal position of Fig. 1. As the latch arm 25 is thus swung upwardly, the hat is pushed farther inward along the arm and finally, with the arm reaching the horizontal position, the hat will overlie the arm as in Fig. 4. It will be understood, also, that as the arm 25 is swung upwardly, the latch lever 35 will be brought from that relationship thereto shown in Fig. 3, up tightly against the loop end of arm 25'and there operate to prevent the hat band slipping outwardly on the latch arm by reason of the inturned hook 35a at the end of the latch lever. 7

It is to be observed also, that as the lever 35 swings to theposition of Fig. 4, that portion of the hat band at the outside of arm 25, will be pressed upwardly between the spaced legs of the arm as at 41.1:- in Fig. 4.

To release the hat for removal, it is only necessary that the finger be extended into the hat and over the outer end of the latch arm 25, and the latter pulled downwardly. As the arm is pulled downwardly, for example to the intermediate position, the latch lever mounting plate will be actuated to cause the lever 35 to swing away from arm 25, permitting the hat band to be slipped off from the arm.

The parts when not in use assume the position of Fig. 3;

hat on the arm will support it, and the hook 35a will engage the edge of the hat band to hold the hat in place.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A hat holder comprising a supporting housing, a frame hingedly mounted at its inner end in said housing for swinging adjustment between a depending position and a horizontally extending position, a latch arm slidablysupported in said frame, as an outer end extension thereof,

springmeans in, the housing acting against the inner end of the latch arm to urge itfrom retracted position toward its extended position, a

cam follower on the inner end of the latch arm, a cam surface formed on the housing engaged by the said cam follower and along which it is adapted to move with the swinging adjustments of the frame to cause retraction of the latch arm in the frame incident to the swinging of the frame from horizontal to depending position and permitting outward adjustment of the latch arm, under pressure of said spring means, when the frame is swung from depending to horizontal position, a latch lever hingedly mounted on the latch arm and extended from its hinge point outwardly therealong and adapted to swing to and from a clamping relationship with the latch arm, and an actuating plate fixed to the said latch lever and having a connection with the said frame through which the retracting and extending movements of the latch arm will cause the clamping lever to be actuated from and to clamping relationship with the latch arm.

2. A hat holder as recited in claim 1 wherein the said latch arm has a block fixed rigidly thereto at its inner end, formed with a series of ball seats, and said spring means includes a spring pressed ball adapted to engage successively in said seats when the frame is adjusted about its hinge axis, to yieldingly retain the frame at selected positions of adjustment and thus to hold the clamp lever, at a set position relative to the latch arm.

3. A hat holder as recited in claim 1 wherein said latch arm is of U-shape form and closed at its outer end, and said latch lever is adapted to close upwardly against the latch arm, and is formed with an upwardly directed and back turned hook at its end adapted to engage against 6 and extend above the base end of the U-shaped latch arm.

4. A device as recited in claim 1 wherein said frame is formed with laterally spaced guideways in its outer end portion in which said latch arm is slidably contained for endwise adjustment, and is formed between said guideways with a slot, and wherein said actuating plate that is fixed to said latch lever extends at its upper end into said frame slot to provide an operating connection, for the latch lever, between the plate and frame.

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the said latch arm is of U-shape, closed at its outer end and has its spaced opposite side members slidably mounted in the frame, and wherein the said latch lever is hinged to the latch arm and is adapted to swing to clamping position between the side members thereof, and has an upturned hook at its end adapted to engage against the outer end member of the U -shaped arm and to extend slightly thereabove.

HU'BERT L. RICHARDSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 435,827 Henshaw Sept. 2. 1890 629,852 Grabendike Aug. 1, 1899 1,705,557 Chow Mar. 19, 1929.

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,748 Great Britain 1911 

